Beyond the Private Sphere: Intimate Partner Violence as a Transnational Security Crisis

Abstract

This paper challenges the idea that intimate partner violence (IPV) is just a private crime. It argues that IPV is a transnational security crisis shaped by law, politics, and global structures. A key issue is the public-private divide, where the home is seen as outside the state's responsibility. This divide hides violence, protects perpetrators, and allows states to avoid accountability. Cases from London (Chkaifi), Lahore (Shaheen), and Oklahoma (Wilkens) show how these failures can have deadly results. States are not neutral in this process. Discriminatory laws, like Pakistan’s Hudood Ordinances, reinforce women’s subordination. Police often ignore abuse as a “family matter”, and courts frequently silence survivors. The problem is also global—neoliberal economic reforms—policies that cut welfare and social support—trap women in dependence. Conflict zones like Uganda increase household violence, while strict migration laws expose women to dangers like deportation. Traditional security models focus only on borders and armies, ignoring violence inside homes and bodies. Using a conceptual approach, this paper develops a feminist view of security. It centers on bodily integrity, uses intersectional analysis, and calls for structural change. By framing IPV as a global security issue, the paper pushes scholarship and policy forward. It shows that true security means safety in everyday life.